Daum waiting on Germany verdict

Daum favourite to take Germany job

Bayer Leverkusen coach Christoph Daum expects a decision this weekend on whether he will be Germany's new coach.

Daum is favourite to replace Erich Ribbeck - who resigned after Germany's disastrous Euro 2000 campaign.

He is likely to discover his next move after a crisis meeting of German soccer chiefs on Sunday, providing agreement can be reached over his contract at Leverkusen.

Daum admits he would like the job, explaining: "Independent of current events, that was always my goal.

Handover period

"I am not, however, in a position to act. I have a contract with Leverkusen until 2001 and will stick to it."

Daum claims he could work for club and country for a handover period.

Everything is possible - but the DFB has to decide

Bayer Leverkusen coach Christophe Daun

He also revealed he had turned down an offer to extend his Leverkusen contract from manager Reiner Calmund last weekend.

"Everything is possible. But the DFB has to decide," he said.

Daum, 46, is a motivational specialist who took Bayer to within an inch of the Bundesliga title last season, only to see Bayern Munich pip his team on goal difference on the last day of the season.

Wrangling

The two clubs have also been wrangling over who should sacrifice their coach to save the national game after Germany's worst showing in an international tournament in half a century.

Bayern President Franz Beckenbauer has refused to release coach Ottmar Hitzfeld - although speculation is mounting that Beckenbauer's deputy Karl-Heinz Rummenigge could play a key management role at the DFB.

DFB vice-president Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder said DFB chiefs would meet bosses of the two top clubs on Sunday.

"We have to reach a quick solution," he added.